Prosecutors: 'Methodical' id thieves hit Seattle clinics, law office

Man alleged to have threatened to blow up Greenwood apartment as police closed in

Published 8:48 pm, Sunday, July 19, 2015

Seattle police claim arson defendant Randolph Chechak sent this photo to hostage negotiators trying to talk him out of a Greenwood neighborhood apartment.

Seattle police claim arson defendant Randolph Chechak sent this photo to hostage negotiators trying to talk him out of a Greenwood neighborhood apartment.

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Randolph Chechak is alleged to have set fire to this Greenwood neighborhood apartment, Lelani on Greenwood Apartments, located at 10215 Greenwood Ave. N. King County Assessor's Office photo.

Randolph Chechak is alleged to have set fire to this Greenwood neighborhood apartment, Lelani on Greenwood Apartments, located at 10215 Greenwood Ave. N. King County Assessor's Office photo.

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King County prosecutors claim Duane Nelson, 42, and Randolph Chechak, 47, attacked the credit of more than a dozen people while stealing more than $100,000 during the months-long spree. They're also alleged to have stolen a Nissan Pathfinder similar to the one pictured here. less

King County prosecutors claim Duane Nelson, 42, and Randolph Chechak, 47, attacked the credit of more than a dozen people while stealing more than $100,000 during the months-long spree. They're also alleged to ... more

Photo: Popular Mechanics

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King County prosecutors claim Duane Nelson, 42, and Randolph Chechak, 47, attacked the credit of more than a dozen people while stealing more than $100,000 during the months-long spree. Some records were alleged to have been stolen from a Via Radiology, a clinic located in this North Seattle medical office.King County Assessor's Office photo. less

King County prosecutors claim Duane Nelson, 42, and Randolph Chechak, 47, attacked the credit of more than a dozen people while stealing more than $100,000 during the months-long spree. Some records were ... more

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Prosecutors: 'Methodical' id thieves hit Seattle clinics, law office

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Two Seattle men described by prosecutors as “methodical criminals” are now accused of breaking into clinics, a law office and mailboxes during an identity theft spree.

King County prosecutors claim Duane Nelson, 42, and Randolph Chechak, 47, attacked the credit of more than a dozen people while stealing more than $100,000 during the months-long spree. Chechak is also alleged to have tried to burn up the evidence as police closed in on a Greenwood neighborhood apartment they appear to have shared.

“Nelson and Chechak have stolen the identities of at least 15 victims, have created fictitious businesses, have defrauded several businesses and have stolen over $118,000,” Senior Deputy Prosecutor Mafe Rajul said in charging papers. “Nelson and Chechak are methodical criminals whose criminal enterprise continues to grow.”

According to charging papers, the thieves stole a safe from the office of Thompson & Howle Attorneys on Aug. 14. The safe was packed with client information and personal checks, as well as employee records.

Police claim Chechak then burglarized a Polyclinic office in Seattle on Aug. 30. According to charging papers, Chechak was caught on camera inside the clinic’s security office.

In the days after the burglaries, several employees and clients of both businesses had their identities stolen. Among the victims was a 92-year-old widow, who saw $8,400 stolen from her accounts. Police say $1,007 went to pay Nelson’s rent at Leilani on the Green Apartments, where he and Chechak appear to have lived.

Within weeks, one former employee had more than $32,000 charged to credit accounts taken out in his name. The man’s mail was forwarded to another address, apparently to keep the bills from alerting him to the thefts.

Other victims offered similar stories to police. A doctor at Via Radiology – a Seattle clinic burglarized sometime in the week after Christmas – had accounts opened in his name, which saw a total of $22,000 in fraudulent charges. A business owner whose home mailbox was broken into saw several checks fraudulently cashed.

All told, the men are alleged to have succeeded in stealing at least $114,400 while attempting to take $39,000.

The men are also accused of stealing a Nisan Pathfinder from an Auburn car dealership after Nelson faked his way through a lease application. Nelson was arrested at the dealership when he returned to pick up license plates for the SUV.

Questioned by police, Nelson claimed the dealership had made a mistake and contended the lease was legitimate, an Auburn police detective said in charging papers. Chechak is alleged to have accompanied Nelson during the car theft.

The detective said Nelson’s phone was packed with security codes and credit card numbers. It appeared to the detective that Nelson was also helping others obtain id cards so they could impersonate the victims as well.

“During the interview Nelson admitted … that on the East Coast he had been known as the ‘Check Man,’” the detective said in charging papers.

Nelson ultimately fingered Chechak as his collaborator in the identity theft scheme, the detective continued. Police went to search Nelson’s apartment on June 17, only to find Chechak inside.

According to charging papers, Chechak threatened to blow up the Leilani apartments, located at 10215 Greenwood Avenue North.

A Seattle detective said Chechak barricaded himself inside the apartment when Auburn investigators arrived. He is alleged to have threatened to destroy the building.

During the standoff that ensued, Chechak called the FBI and KIRO/7 News to repeat the threat, the detective said in court papers. Chechak sent a photo of a firebomb to a hostage negotiator attempting to talk him into surrendering, the detective continued.

Police ultimately forced their way into the apartment, where they found Chechak had started a fire in the middle of the studio unit, according to charging papers. Chechak was arrested.

Searching the apartment after Chechak’s arrest, investigators found forged licenses, blank check stock, printers and several computers. They claim to have found personal information belonging to several people, some of which appeared to have been taken from the Polyclinic.

Writing the court, Rajul described Nelson as an experienced thief with convictions dating back to 1991. He recently served a four-year federal prison sentence for identity theft crimes in Washington. Chechak’s criminal history also includes recent convictions for identity theft and related crimes.

Nelson has been charged with seven counts of first-degree identity theft as well as one count of car theft. Chechak has been charged with four counts of first-degree identity theft, one count of second-degree burglary, one count of second-degree identity theft and one count of car theft, as well as first-degree arson and making bomb threats related to his arrest.

Both men have pleaded not guilty. Each remains jailed at King County Jail.